Comics and Graphic Novels: Diverse Comics

This graphic novel is based on the oral history of Ramon Jaurigue, an orphan and WWII veteran who co-founded the Mexican, American, Yaqui, and Others (M.A.Y.O.) organization, which successfully lobbied the Tucson City Council to improve living and working conditions for members of the Pascua Yaqui tribe.

Pete, a young Aboriginal gang member, is sent to jail for killing his mother's boyfriend during a fight. While there, he realizes that he has become a negative influence on his younger brother and decides to turn his life around with the help of traditional Aboriginal healing circles and ceremonies

Brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas were talented Native American rock musicians that took the 1960s Sunset Strip by storm. Created in cooperation of the Vegas family, authors Christian Staebler and Sonia Paoloni with artist Thibault Balahy take painstaking steps to ensure the historical accuracy of this important and often overlooked story of America's past

This extraordinary graphic novel depicts traditional Native American trickster tales with inspired artists and native writers.

This graphic novel is a rollicking action story that's wrapped around the lasting impacts of colonization and a robust effort to revitalize the Southern Tutchone language spoken by First Nations people in the Yukon communities.

Tasha Spillet's graphic-novel debut, Surviving the City, is a story about womanhood, friendship, resilience, and the anguish of a missing loved one. Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan's Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban landscape.

It's been a decade since the Civil Defense Corps was exposed as a fraud created by the U.S. Government for propaganda purposes. While most of the heroes who survived the catastrophe have retired or disappeared, the New American still carries on, trying to keep communities safe amid the social turmoil of the 1970s. But with the nation split in two over civil rights and the changing political landscape, this isn't easy.

A hip-hop group from East L.A. must battle an ancient, alien God sent to earth to continue a Black Curse--which turns drug dealers and gangsters into zombies! With a deep love of the hip-hop culture, Zulu-X and his crew go head-to-head with a nefarious ancient order that has infiltrated the inner cities to settle an ancient score.

When a violent superhuman terrorist group known as The People spark a violent uprising in Wakanda, T'Challa fights to unite his citizens and show them how to adapt in order for Wakanda to survive.

Empowered and "frenemy" Sistah Spooky are trapped in a twisted high-school hellscape, with Spooky's ex-classmates plotting ritual murder to claim her magic for themselves! Beset by giant biology-class frogs, deadly emoji, and a monstrous junk-food elemental, Emp and Spooky fight for their lives against straight-fire blonde ambition!

Miles Morales takes up the mantle of the Ultimate Spider-Man!

When a red-scaled beast teleported from the past meets Lunella Lafayette, a preteen super genius with Inhuman genes, the duo quickly become the best of friends, but there are certain problems involved with having a T-rex as a pet in New York City.

Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American girl from Jersey City who lives a conservative Muslim lifestyle with her family, suddenly acquires superhuman powers and, despite the pressures of school and home, tries to use her abilities to help her community.

Marvel's stronger-than-steel man of the streets, Luke Cage, partners with the mystic kung fu master Iron Fist in the beginning of one of the greatest teams in comic-book history!

After getting knocked unconscious on her first mission, aspiring vigilante Scout Montana discovers that she's able to transform into a blue superhuman creature, and with this new body she becomes the superhero Shadoweyes.

On the eve of her first day of high school, Maggie has a run-in with an evil mercenary group known as the Numbers. After years of training, it's up to Maggie to be the self-taught superhero the city needs! But is she truly ready for the responsibility that comes with the title of "hero"?

After a gunshot leaves her paralyzed, Barbara Gordon enters the Arkham Center for Independence, where Gotham's teens undergo physical and mental rehabilitation. Now using a wheelchair, Barbara must adapt to a new normal, but she cannot shake the feeling that something is dangerously amiss.

Two stories featuring the most intriguing women in the DC Universe--the hard-hitting Black Canary, Oracle (the former Batgirl), Catwoman, and the Huntress.

The author recounts in graphic novel format her experiences with hearing loss at a young age, including using a bulky hearing aid, learning how to lip read, and determining her "superpower.".

A personal memoir told in the form of a graphic novel chronicles the author's experiences growing up with an older brother suddenly afflicted with epilepsy and the effects of the disease on the family, and the roots of his career as a cartoonist.

Developing a chronic upset stomach that she initially dismisses as a bug, young Raina discovers that her symptoms are related to her anxieties about school, food and changing friendships, in a story based on the Eisner Award-winning author's childhood.

Prompted by his sister, Jack trades his mom's car for a box of mysterious seeds, but soon their normal garden turns into a wild jungle filled with magical creatures and, one night, changes into a dragon.

College student Isaac struggles to manage his epilepsy and his day-to-day life. His medication does not seem to work, the doctors won't listen, the schoolwork keeps piling up, his family is in denial about his condition, and his social life falls apart as he feels isolated by his illness. Even with an unexpected new friend by his side, so much is up against him that Isaac is starting to think his epilepsy might be unbeatable.

Set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, Monstress tells the epic story of Maika Halfwolf, a teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the Arcanics. In the face of oppression and terrible danger, Maika is both hunter and hunted, searching for answers about her mysterious past as those who seek to use her remain just one step behind ... and all the while, the monster within begins to awaken.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods.

Shoya is a bully. When Shoko, a girl who can’t hear, enters his elementary school class, she becomes their favorite target, and Shoya and his friends goad each other into devising new tortures for her. But the children’s cruelty goes too far. Shoko is forced to leave the school, and Shoya ends up shouldering all the blame. Six years later, the two meet again.

In 1996 Chicago, thirteen-year-old Harriet Flores, living with boredom, loneliness, and a chronic illness, lets her imagination run wild--with mixed results--and learns about the power of storytelling.

Mike Hawthorne tells the true and tragic story of enduring abuse, discovering a love of art, and a passion that helped him to build the home he never had in this graphic novel memoir about family, survival, and what it means to be Puerto Rican in America.

Seeking to protect other vulnerable superpowered psiots like herself, Livewire plunged the United States into a nationwide blackout, causing untold devastation. With the whole world hunting her, what kind of hero will Livewire be…or will she be one at all?

A collection of Love and Rockets tales finds Penny Century acquiring super-powers at a terrible personal cost and rampaging through the galaxy pursued by a motley group of superheroes led by Maggie's girlfriend Angel.

Every night, tiny stars appear out of the darkness in little Sandy's bedroom. She catches them and creates wonderful creatures to play with until she falls asleep, and in the morning brings them back to life in the whimsical drawings that cover her room.

Bored one rainy Sunday afternoon, Pablo and Jane go exploring at the old house on the hill where they find a hot air powered time machine.

This graphic novel tells unforgettable stories about Afro-Brazilian slaves who rebelled against oppression.

Collection of comics created by Latinx artists and writers that comes together to shed light on their various autobiographical experiences as situated within the language, culture, history, and sociopolitics that inform Latinx hemispheric identities and subjectivities.

Family secrets engage the reader in this profoundly resonant story about identity, love, loss, deception, and the dissolution of blood ties.

Undocumented is the story of immigrant workers who have come to the United States without papers. Every day, these men and women join the work force and contribute positively to society. The story is told via the ancient Mixtec codex--accordion fold--format.

Quinton West went from being a small guy getting beaten up to a small guy with the superpower of invulnerability. To supplement his only superpower, he realizes he can use his hobby of creating Rube Goldberg devices to outsmart opponents.

A new drug is sweeping through the streets of New Orleans--one made from the ashes of the dead

Uses graphic novel format to depict the events of Hurricane Katrina though six true stories of New Orleanians who survived the storm, including Denise, who experienced the chaos of the Superdome, and a doctor whose French Quarter home was unscathed.

Detective John Blacksad returns, with a new case that takes him to a 1950s New Orleans filled with hot jazz and cold-blooded murder!

After a New Orleans college professor goes missing while searching for the rumored lost recordings of bluesman Robert Johnson—who, as legend has it, sold his soul to the devil at a Mississippi crossroads—Nick Travers is sent to find him.

[S]et in the days after Hurricane Katrina... [t]wo small-time ex-cons with big dreams get the idea that this would be the perfect time to rob a bank. Catch is, the bank is in New Orleans, and they're on parole in Houston. Now, as every sane person tries to get out of The Big Easy, Emmit and Dabny will do whatever it takes to get in.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Don Brown's kinetic art and as-it-happens narrative capture both the tragedy and triumph of one of the worst natural disasters in American history.

Here's a collection of cartoons and commentary about what makes Louisiana different, unique, and sometimes just plain weird.

Orphaned as a child and raised on the margins of society, Jack Boniface never knew his place in the world. Until he discovered it waiting for him...in a darkness far older than the reign of men... Unbeknownst to him Jack was fated to become the next in a long lineage of Shadowmen--mortals bound to Ioas, violent voodoo spirits of immense power--that could safeguard our world against incursions from realms beyond

When a tragic accident takes the life of the only family she's ever known, 16-year-old Raven is sent to New Orleans to start over. She soon discovers that she can hear the thoughts of others around her ... and another, more disturbing, voice in her head.

Presents a graphic account of a serial killing case in post-World War I New Orleans.

In the Night Realm, vampires, shifters, weirns, and other night things passing for human prowl the streets... but they still have to go to school!

Long ago, dragons and humans lived in harmony. But when dark forces threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Five hundred years later, evil has returned, and lone warrior Raya must track down the legendary last dragon before it is too late.

Ruskin, the pet dragon of the royal family of Wrenly, forms new friendships with the dragons of Crestwood and goes on exciting adventures

Sonia Patel hopes having a full summer in her new house in Metropolis Grove will let her make friends before school starts, but new pals Duncan and Alex do not believe her when she tells them she has actually seen Superman in their town.

Twelve-year-old goblin and witch-in-training Beetle enlists her former best friend, Kat Hollowbones, to help stop Kat's sorceress aunt from demolishing the mall where Beetle's friend Blob Ghost is trapped.

Jon Kent and Damian 'Ian' Wayne are opposite in every way except one--they are the sons of the World's Greatest Heroes! To uncover a global conspiracy, this unlikely dynamic duo will need to learn to trust each other and work together to save the Earth.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous.

When the Fire Nation begins to believe that the country will perish if Zuko stays in power, Avatar Aang and his friends must protect the ruler.

The Hazards of Love follows the story of a queer teen from Queens who makes some mistakes, gets dragged into a fantastical place, and tries to hustle their way back home.

Bron and Ray are a queer couple who enjoy their role as the fun weirdo aunties to Ray's niece, six-year-old Nessie. As their emotional intimacy erodes, Ray and Bron isolate from each other and attempt to repair their broken family ties.

Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears.

At the age of twenty-five, Kimiko Tobimatsu was a young, queer, mixed-race woman with no history of health problems whose world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In an instant, she became immersed in a new and complicated life of endless appointments, evaluations, and treatments, and difficult conversations with her partner and parents.

This graphic novel perfectly captures the feelings of a young sojourner in America as she explores the nuances in searching for a place to belong.

Jake Hyde yearns for the ocean and is determined to leave his hometown in New Mexico for a college on the coast, and while his family and friends encourage him to stay, he must deal with his secrets of being gay and some strange new blue markings on his skin giving him a glow when he touches water.

Sophie is young and queer and into feminist theory. She decides to study abroad. Feeling a bit lonely and out of place, she's desperate for community and a sense of belonging. She stumbles into what/who she's looking for when she meets Zena, an anarchist student-activist committed to veganism and shoplifting.

Werewolf barista Julie and her new girlfriend go on a date to a close-up magic show, but all heck breaks loose when the magician casts a horrible spell on their friend Chet. Now it's up to the team of mythical pals to stop the illicit illusionist before it's too late.

Dreaming of leaving his family's bakery to become a musician in the city, Ari unexpectedly falls for the easy-going young baker, Hector, who has been hired to replace him and begins to reevaluate his dreams and the consequences of his choices.

For this ragtag band of space gays, liberation means beating the patriarchy at its own game.

A story of teen sexuality and family secrets.

A powerful and moving teen graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life.

For all ages, Foundations of Chinese Civilization covers China's early history in comic form, introducing philosophies like Confucianism and Daoism, the story of the Silk Road, famous emperors like Han Wudi, and the process of China's unification.

In 1960s America, Kusama is a symbol of free love and peace. From her childhood in rural Japan through her radical happenings in New York to her groundbreaking international installations, this vivid graphic novel documents the incredible journey of a remarkable icon.

Tells the story of Julian's Grandmére's childhood as she, a Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II and how the boy she once shunned became her savior and best friend. Friendships have a way of being deadly.

Malka, the black sheep of her family, finds out that her quirky and estranged relatives have made elaborate plans to leave the States and reunite in Poland to finally investigate their Jewish roots.

In striking, virtuoso graphic style that captures both the immediacy of childhood and the fervor of political idealism, Riad Sattouf recounts his nomadic childhood growing up in rural France, Gaddafi's Libya, and Assad's Syria--but always under the roof of his father, a Syrian Pan-Arabist who drags his family along in his pursuit of grandiose dreams for the Arab nation.

The author describes her experiences as a young Vietnamese immigrant, highlighting her family's move from their war-torn home to the United States in graphic novel format.

A son struggles to come to terms with the horrific story of his parents and their experiences during the Holocaust and in postwar America.

The great-granddaughter of Iran's last emperor and the daughter of ardent Marxists describes growing up in Tehran in a country plagued by political upheaval and vast contradictions between public and private life.

A young girl describes her experiences growing up in China, beginning with the death of Chairman Mao in 1976.

In a story told in graphic novel format, an artist originally from Teheran depicts her experiences of growing up under Shiite Law and life in Switzerland as an adult.

The author shares memories of her middle class childhood to create a family portrait that explores loss, tragedy, love, and the loneliness of exile.

A look at the Showa period in Japanese history with events leading towards World War II.

Now a teenager at boarding school, Mat explores the possibilities of town life in Malaysia.

An account of an Israeli soldier's experiences in Beirut during the massacres at Sabra and Shatila follows his recovered memories of his participation in the September 1982 atrocities after he had forgotten them for more than twenty years.

Sixteen-year-old Boetema suddenly develops the ability to astrally project to other worlds, unintentionally possessing the bodies of people light years away. Inotu, her inquisitive brother with a penchant for trouble, finds himself on the run after he's caught eavesdropping on illegal business between small town tycoons and their cyborg bodyguard.

Alternates three interrelated stories about the problems of young Chinese Americans trying to participate in the popular culture.

In the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance is in full swing, and only the Sangerye Family can save New York-and the world-from the supernatural forces threatening to destroy humanity. But the once-great family of monster hunters has been torn apart by tragedies and conflicting moral codes. The Sangerye Family must heal the wounds of the past and move beyond their differences…or sit back and watch a force of unimaginable evil ravage the human race.

Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

When in-house detective Charlie comes up against a case he can't crack, he calls upon sixteen-year-old Goldie, who uses her skills, smarts, and connections to solve the case.

Hot Comb offers a poignant glimpse into black women’s lives and coming-of-age stories as seen across a crowded, ammonia-scented hair salon while ladies gossip and bond over the burn.

Interested in Hot Comb? Meet Ebony Flowers at Mid City Micro-Con 2020!

The ghost of fifteen-year-old Alfonso Jones travels in a New York subway car full of the living and the dead, watching his family and friends fight for justice after he is killed by an off-duty police officer while buying a suit in a Midtown department store.

Home is a new house with a loving husband in 1970s California that is suddenly transformed into the frightening world of the antebellum South. Dana, a young black writer, can't explain how she is transported across time and space to a plantation in Maryland. But she does quickly understand why: to deal with the troubles of Rufus, a conflicted white slaveholder - and her progenitor. Her survival, her very existence, depends on it.

Pete, a young Aboriginal gang member, is sent to jail for killing his mother's boyfriend during a fight. While there, he realizes that he has become a negative influence on his younger brother and decides to turn his life around with the help of traditional Aboriginal healing circles and ceremonies.

A hip-hop retelling of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that focuses on Tybalt (derisively referred to as "the Prince of Cats") and his Capulet crew as they do battle nightly with the hated Montagues.

Covering practical matters like time management and serious topics like discrimination, this book unites the best of two years of Kimchi Cuddles comics, organized into a practical and entertaining guide to the real world of alternative relationships.

An unusual memoir done in the form of a graphic novel by a cult favorite comic artist offers a darkly funny family portrait that details her relationship with her father, a historic preservation expert dedicated to restoring the family's Victorian home, funeral home director, high-school English teacher, and closeted homosexual.

Another summer spent at Camp Bellflower for Girls suddenly turns 15-year-old Maggie Thrash's life upside down when a moment of innocent physical contact sparks an unexpected desire for a female camp counselor…a feeling that might just be mutual. But Camp Bellflower is the last place for two girls to fall in love in peace.

Activist-academic Meg John Barker and cartoonist Julia Scheele illuminate the histories of queer thought and LGBTQ+ action in this non-fiction graphic novel. A kaleidoscope of characters from the diverse worlds of pop-culture, film, activism and academia guide us on a journey through the ideas, people and events that have shaped queer theory.

Complemented by educational worksheets and helpful examples, a comics-illustrated guide to queer and transgender life covers essential topics ranging from sexuality and gender identity to coming out and navigating gender-diverse relationships.

The concept of gender-neutral pronouns is introduced through a graphic novel tale of Archie, a snarky genderqueer artist, and cisgender Tristan, who is looking for an easy way to introduce these pronouns to his diverse workplace.